Brujah For Dinner
by Maraluch
Summary: Julian's new Childe takes advantage of a Blood Hunt and someone is not very appreciative. Daedalus engages in a nightly philosophical debate with her. Humor and general silliness. Complete!
1. Brujah for Dinner

_Ok, so this is a little snarky and silly. And a lot of it doesn't make sense. But just go with it and follow the bread crumbs of humor... Just some late night drivel floating around in my cranium. Enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I don't own them...Made no $$ from this... etc... blah blah blah.. oh wait. I do own Marie. She's a lovely brain childe. A bit smart but... I think Daedalus can tame her nicely. _

_Maraluch_

**Brujah For Dinner**

Following closely behind Julian was Sasha, Daedalus, and Cameron. As they came into the Prince's private chamber to speak away from the ruckus of the household, Julian's eyes fell on his nude and soapy Childe within the garden tub.

"Good God, Uncle Julian. Why do you always have a naked woman in your room?" Sasha asked in a rush. The redheaded Brujah frowned at Marie with her hands on her hips.

Julian ignored her remark as he stepped closer toward the tub. Marie merely raised an eyebrow at him and glanced back at their guests. "Sorry to intrude, my dear. Some unfinished business must be discussed. Can I get you a towel?"

"Yes, if you would." As she stood up in the tub, soap ran from her body in rivulets into the tub.

Cameron's eyes traveled up and down her body several times before she glared at him and said, "Avert your eyes before I rip your face off."

"Appreciating beauty is crime now," the Brujah Primogen asked innocently.

Julian reappeared at her side and held out a towel for her to step into and wrap around herself. When she did, he leaned forward and sniffed her hair. "Are you sure you got all the blood off of you?" She had been drenched in it from head to toe earlier.

"Yes, I'm sure. It's just the water you smell. I'm clean."

Cameron's face twisted in a grimace of recognition. "You!" His eyes lit to a golden hue with the onset of Frenzy.

"What's the matter, Cameron?" Marie asked with the twist of the towel around her nude form. "Are you upset that one of your Clanmates fed my appetite tonight?"

The Brujah Primogen ground his teeth together, fighting for control of the Beast while in the Prince's home. A low growl erupted from his chest.

"I suppose I really must thank you in a way. If it wasn't for the fact that you don't take a very keen interest in controlling your Clan, I would be quite hungry right now. So, thank you for your generosity. It is appreciated."

Marie gave a smug grin and walked further back into her boudoir after pulling the drain stop up out of the tub. The water which left the tub was pink.

* * *

Later that evening, the Ventrue Childe of the Prince gingerly made her way down the wooden steps leading down into the cellar room where Daedalus resided. He gave a long suffering sigh when she came within his view.

"Beauty notwithstanding that was a very ill advised display tonight, Marie."

Her lip twitched in agitation. "Why? Because I spoke the truth? Or because you didn't have a naked woman here when you returned _after_ my display?"

The Nosferatu halted in mid brushstroke on the canvas he worked and turned around in shock.

"What?!"

"You look Ventrue but you certainly don't act like it sometimes," he returned with a smirk.

"Well you look Nosferatu but hardly ever act like it. There. We're even. Can we agree that we're both the result of Kindred blood craziness and possible inbreeding or cross Clan blood bonding? "

Daedalus pursed his lips and then put down his brush at the easel. Facing the Prince's get, he crossed his arms wearily and prepared for the inevitable philosophical tirade.

Marie had never disappointed him with her predictability. There was never a dull moment around her. This was the very reason he watched over her so carefully. She had the courage and fighting prowess of a Garou and the level headedness of a Ventrue politician: a deadly combination. But her smart assed temper quite often got in the way of progress being made in her training.

"Would you like a glass of wine before we begin this evening's argument?" Daedalus asked dryly.

"Cameron dined me, you're wining me... what's next, desert? And if so, I definitely want a menu to choose from," Marie replied in a smug tone as she settled herself into the dark grey recliner beside his boxes of supplies.

"You are so spoiled," he muttered under his breath.

"Hmm. I know."

* * *

Two hours later...

"So you're saying I should not taunt the Brujah Primogen _because_ he is the Brujah Primogen?"

"It is not wise to taunt any Primogen. They wield a great deal of power within their Clan. This could one day prove fatal to you, Childe."

"But I taunt you all the time. And if he used the power he had, then I wouldn't have had Eric for dinner."

"True. But I don't have a temper like the Brujah Primogen does. And besides, if you ever taunted me to the point where I considered hurting you, I'd let your Sire do it instead."

Marie paused and sat back in the plush chair, considering the Enforcer's words. "Why would you let my Sire punish me instead?"

He shrugged. "Because it would be fun."

She scowled and admitted, "He can be a little sadistic. He threatened to take a pair of pliers to my claws once because I scratched his desk."

Daedalus raised a pale eyebrow at her, "Who do you think he got the idea from?"

* * *

Forty Five Minutes Later...

Marie sipped her wine and asked, "So if it came down to a fight between Cash and Cameron, who do you think would win?"

"Are those my only options?"

"What do you mean?"

"Where will you be when they're fighting to the death?"

"Watching, of course!?" The Ventrue rolled her eyes at the Nosferatu.

"Would your mouth be taped shut while they were fighting? Because if it wasn't, then they'd kill themselves just to get away from you."

Marie's mouth snapped shut.

* * *

As the sun rose over the horizon of San Francisco, the Prince and his Childe lay down for rest. Climbing under the cool and crisp sheets Marie asked, "Did Daedalus ever suggest pulling my claws out with pliers?"

Julian looked at her in shock, "What?"

"Well, did he?"

Searching her face for information, he shook his head in a negative response.

"He is such a liar," she said definitively.

Julian laughed and pulled her close. "He only teases you because he likes you, love. And he wants you to be raised to have good judgment and morals."

"Better than yours?"

"Uhh, I think that's what he's aiming for, yes," Julian stuttered. Good grief, he was going to have to sit down with his Enforcer for a little chat. What else had he be telling her?

"Hmm. Do you have any tape?"

* * *

The following evening...

Daedalus' eyes opened at the thought of a new night's work ahead of him. As he sat up, he was shocked to feel tightness over his lips. Pulling at the slick object, he discovered someone had duct taped his mouth shut while he was asleep.


	2. Special Delivery

_Folks, I'm just writing this fic by the seat of my pants. No preparation. No big plan. Just stupid stuff floating all around in my head. If I think of some ridiculous stunt to pull or have pulled on my characters, it will be done! I love torturing my characters._

_My first (ElenaC. Thank you!!!) reviewer wrote, "But she broke the 6th Tradition! She's not going to last very long." True. But... false in a way. Yes, Marie did kill. But Julian had already called a Blood Hunt and he allowed his daughter to participate. She beat up her dinner fair and square. She earned it. Eric was a pretty bad dude who deserved to be splattered. Cameron was just pissy 'cause the Prince's Childe got to chow down on his Clanmate. Whole anarchist thing, ya know... Then again you have to ask yourself, do Brujah really need a reason to be pissy?_

_And please, people, try to remember that this is a C.O.M.E.D.Y. I am placing this story within a Kindred world where Sires are just a little bit more lenient with their young ones because they seem to go through puberty twice: once as a human and once as a Kindred. So the idiocy does continue for quite some time after their Embrace. Patience is a virtue. Woo sahh... (For all those 'Bad Boys' movie fans.)_

* * *

Tick, tick, tick, tick...

Marie and Cassandra stared at the small brown cardboard box with official postal stamps, both with worried and agitated expressions. How had it managed to make it through security at the post office? The ticking was loud, even to Kindred ears.

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick...

Cassandra poked the box gingerly and a high toned whine of worry escaped her throat. "You tell him. I can't. He'll-"

"He'll what? Yell? I'd certainly hope so!" Marie grabbed the box and running out the front door of the house she sped around to the back yard. Julian would throw a fit at the destruction to the greenery, but so be it. Couldn't be helped. She threw the box as far as she could toward the tree line and then paused, watching the box crash back down to earth.

No explosion. Just that god awful ticking, still continuing from within the plain cardboard box that had arrived minutes before in the Luna mailbox. Who in the hell had sent it?! There was no return address and the stamps indicated it had been mailed only within San Francisco.

Marie ran back inside the compound and then immediately headed to the door of the downstairs conference room where she knew her Sire would be. It was Tuesday. Therefore the only thing the man could be doing would be going over finances. With the first day of trading complete for the week, he had to plan for ever contingency. Obsessive he was, and Predictability should have been his middle name.

As she skidded around the corner and grabbed the door handle, she heard the conversation within the large room grind to a halt. Wrenching open the door and almost pulling the handle off in the process, she yelled, "Sire! We need you out here!"

Six pairs of Ventrue eyebrows raised at her words and five of those pairs of eyebrows turned to look at their Prince for his reaction to the interruption.

"Is the house on fire," he asked calmly.

Marie looked wildly around the room and then frowned, frustrated. "No the house is not on fire."

"Are we being attacked by Garou?"

"No! But-"

"Overrun by termites, even?"

Marie's mouth gaped and she stared at him mutely.

"Then what excuse are you using to interrupt this meeting, Marie? I am becoming very tired of the incessant dramatics around this house lately."

She was at a loss and confused about how her Sire could be so calm when her nerves were so frayed. _Surely he could sense the danger to them all?_ Marie sighed, ever so slightly rolled her eyes, and then straightened her spine before opening her mouth. "We have a bomb."

Now Julian's eyes widened and he hastily rose out of his chair to approach her. "Where?"

She led him to it, standing about fifty feet away from it. Wrapping her arms around his elbow she asked, "What do we do with it?"

"We have got make it go off," he stated bluntly.

"How?"

Julian took a deep breath and looked around for ideas.

"Do you have anyone who you feel so inclined to uh... get rid of?" Marie asked slowly. "Cause you know, before they die they can end up being at least a little bit helpful to you."

The elder Ventrue turned on his heel and appraised her for a moment. "I may."

Sire and Childe entered a staring contest for a brief moment before she glared at him and gave a low growl. "I am not opening the damned box, Julian. And no matter how cute you are, you can't get away with murdering your own Childe. Even if you are chummy with a Justicar or two."

"Try three. And, I was kidding, dear."

"No you weren't," she sulked.

He sighed and walked sedately back inside the house, calling for his bodyguard. When he returned, Marie saw that he carried a phosphorous gun.

"You're not planning on putting me out of my misery, are you?" she asked as she backed up two steps from his reach.

"No, silly Childe. I'm going to detonate the bomb." He fired at the box and as dirt, grass, and even a few tree branches flew into the air, several round silver objects and one larger bundle were launched out of the flying debris and landed about two yards away from them. It hit the earth with a clanging metallic thud and then-

Tick, tick, tick, tick...

Julian and Marie looked the bomb and then each other in shock. How in the world had the bomb survived a phosphorous flair?! Marie tried to move but her feet refused to cooperate. Julian cocked his head to the side and moved closer to the larger silver object.

"No! What are you doing," she yelled, grabbing at his hand.

"What in the world," he whispered.

Julian crouched down to the ground and picked up the ticking object.

Marie inched toward him, terrified she was going to see her Sire's head blown off right before her very eyes. When she reached him though, she exhaled a confused sigh of relief. It wasn't a bomb. But it was a message.

Julian held a wad of silver electrical tape, crushed and stuck together in big messy ball shape. But what was embedded within the sticky creation was the cause of both Ventrue's faces to be twisted in disbelief. It was a perfectly ordinary plastic kitchen timer.

As they looked around at the other silver projectiles they discovered they were rolls of the same silvery gray electrical tape used to make the sticky bundle that held the timer.

Julian bowed his head for a moment and then asked, "Weren't you asking me if I had tape last night?" Wide female eyes met his and he frowned as he stood.

As the pair reentered the manse, Cash hurried toward his Prince and stared at the object he carried. Julian simply handed the sticky thing to his bodyguard and said, "Dispose of it, please."

The Prince let his Clanmates within the conference room know that the world wasn't going to end and the 'bomb' wasn't a threat any longer. The five assorted Ventrue appeared agreeable to the news and went back to discussing the liabilities of stocks and bonds.

* * *

"Now tell me, Marie. What did you do and who did you do it to?" Julian firmly held her hand in his as he perched on the edge of his desk in the study, lest she have any ideas about running away from him.

"I didn't-"

"Marie."

"Yes?"

"What did you do?"

"I said I didn-"

"Marie."

"Yes?"

"We're not moving from this spot until you tell me what idiotic thing you did to have someone address a box to you with a 'bomb' in it."

* * *

_Well folks. We have ended yet another day at the insane Luna household. My guess is that between Sonny, Cassandra, and his other Childer, I think that Julian would have either lost all of his hair or gone completely stark white if he'd been human. Just from the stress alone. _

_And anyone have any ideas as to the relevancy of the plastic timer??? If not... I guess you'll just have to wait and see. muwahahahahahhahahah. _

_Maraluch_


	3. Threats

After Marie's confession of taping Daedalus' mouth shut, the Prince sat dumbstruck within his office. He shook his head and put his hands over his face trying not to laugh out loud.

While she was in front of him confessing her misdeeds, he had to clench his teeth together to keep his composure. Laughing would have destroyed her respect for him and what he would have to do now in order to teach her a lesson. But now he couldn't think of a logical course of action because he couldn't stop imagining what Daedalus must have looked like as he discovered the tape across his lips! Lord knows in his own Kindred infancy, Julian himself had been tempted many times to play a prank on the old man. But he had never followed through with it. Fear of what his own Sire, Archon, would have done to him quickly erased any playful thoughts.

Speaking of the fierce Nosferatu, perhaps it would be best to let him know that he was aware of the situation. Julian made his way down to the gatehouse entrance and let his presence be known.

"My Prince, how can I be of service this evening?"

"Well, you can start by forgiving me for having such an incorrigible Childe who can't seem to keep out of trouble for more than ten minutes at a time," Julian replied. "I am very sorry about what she did to you in your sleep."

Daedalus gestured to a chair and invited him to sit. Julian reclined and waited while his friend pulled out a cigar and lit it, his expression thoughtful. "While I do worry about what the future holds for her because of her lust for adventure, I imagine that Marie will settle down if she is given the proper incentive."

"What did you have in mind exactly?"

"The incentive would be that she can continue to exist," the Nosferatu replied with a small smile. "If she wants to play games then she will find that the price for it may be more than she is willing to pay."

"She has a very practical nature, Daedalus. I mean, if I ordered her to do something for the good of all Kindred then there is no doubt in my mind she would do it. She does follow orders. She is loyal to us. Her spare time is the concern. But I don't want to overload her with so much responsibility, thus ruling out the possibility for her to have normal Childehood. Such a thing would be cruel."

"You did not have a Childehood and you turned out just fine. Archon forced you to grow up fast and instead of languishing in depression thinking of what you were not allowed to have, you thrived. How do you explain this?"

Julian tucked his chin down to his chest and grinned, embarrassed. "Oh I managed to get into my own fair share of scrapes, old man. I just did not get into those scrapes in such a public way. Unlike Marie."

An overhead scratching and scraping was heard by both men and Julian looked up into the network of water pipes. Suddenly a large green iguana fell with a plop on the Prince's lap. The three foot long reptile had long brownish spikes running down its back and neck. The tail spikes swished across his face and before he could even yelp in shock, the Nosferatu came over to grab her off of his lap.

"Samantha, stop scaring our guest. That was not very nice," he chided. "She likes falling on my furniture for fun," he explained.

"How long have you had that lizard," Julian demanded.

"About six months," the elder replied. He set Samantha on his lap and began to softly pet her along side her neck ridges. The female lizard leaned into his fingertips and tipped her head to the side in pleasure. "I think she had been washed down a drain pipe over near Toreador territory and then she wandered along until I found her by the edge of the park. She had a pretty expensive collar on her. Only a _Toreador_ would put diamonds on their pet iguana," he said with a disgusted sigh.

"Do you have any other pets I should know about," Julian asked with a wry grin.

"I have a couple of invisible mice. But I can never find them. So I can't introduce you to them."

Julian frowned. "You're kidding me, right?" Nosferatu were the alchemists of the Kindred world and there were stories far and wide of what sort of obscene and outrageous things they were capable of.

"No. I'm not joking. They're a pain in the ass. But getting back to the subject of your unruly Childe. Have you considered spanking her?"

Julian snorted. "Spanking just makes her pout. She thinks it's a game and that I'm teasing her."

"You can always give her a small dose of the Prison of Light."

"No. She'd complain that she needs to go bikini shopping and then ask for a credit card to do that shopping with. Daedalus, I understand what you're getting at. Trust me I do. But the methods that worked on you and I are absolutely useless on her. I just wish that I could reign in some of that passion she has for mischief and put it to good use. The problem is that while is a terrible misfit, she is also the one Childe I can count on to do whatever it takes to make sure my will is done," he explained.

"Sonny is too polite. Cassandra is too meek. And Billy is ... Billy," he finished, confused with how to even describe his near mute son. Julian sighed in defeat and leaned his head back into the chair, relaxing.

His Prince's evaluation of his brood was curious. While he agreed with it, there was one thing that caught his attention. "Do you have plans for her, Julian? Are you grooming her for an assistant or perhaps another bodyguard?"

"I had considered it," he admitted. "However there is a slight problem with my plans. And that is the fact that Marie will only do what I tell her to up to a certain point."

"Ah. You mean she's not malleable enough."

The Ventrue frowned in response.

"You want her to be the perfect bodyguard. But she doesn't want to listen to you when it concerns political issues and etiquette, yes? She reacts instinctively and is without guile. Yes, I think I see the problem now. However, I don't think this particular 'problem' will ever be resolved, my Prince. She is the most unpretentious Ventrue I have ever met. Her lack of guile is her guide and her strength. I would not advise trying to change her in such a drastic way as to curb her instincts. Those same instincts may save your neck one night," he said sagely while puffing on his cigar.

"You may be right about that," Julian stood and thanked his friend for the advice before returning upstairs.

* * *

Marie winced as the door shut loudly behind her. _Man, he was pissed_, she thought.

Her Sire had locked her in their room for the night as punishment. She walked over to the window and watched as he entered the Gatehouse. _Oh no, _she groaned Daedalus was going to cook up some horrible and mean story to tell him and then she'd be really screwed.

But when her Sire opened the door to their suite a few minutes later, the expression on his face was serene. Marie dug further down into the covers in bed and squeezed her eyelids shut, pretending to be asleep.

"I know you're not asleep yet, Marie. Look at me. We need to talk."

"What did he tell you," she asked.

"About what?"

"About what I did."

"We didn't discuss it. However you and I do need to discuss your behavior of late." She scooted up on the bed and wrapped her arms around her knees. He gave her a stern look before sitting on the bed beside her. "You cannot continue to go this route. If you do then you will put yourself and others in danger. So far it has been mostly harmless. But the warning Daedalus sent you does have an expiration date. Do you understand?"

"I think so."

"I'm glad. Because I'd hate to see what that old man would do to you if you played any other jokes on him. And believe me when I say that he is capable of tearing you limb from limb without even breaking a sweat. He is your elder in age as well as strength. So I would not advise you to antagonize him again. If you do feel the urge to play some silly little joke on him then I would like you to think about what will happen to you afterwards. If he doesn't hurt you, I will. The first time it happens I'll stake you and then leave you in one of the cells downstairs for three days. The second time, I'll drain you, stake you, and leave you for three days. The third time it happens, Marie, I'm going to make you his servant for no less than one year."

Marie's eyes widened further and further with each threat. On the last note, however, her jaw dropped open in terror.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Now lie down and go to sleep. I'll join you in a bit. I have other business to finish up before I can rest."


	4. Confrontation

Marie managed to not run into Daedalus for five whole days, during which she mostly hid in either her bedroom or in the woods behind the house.

The first three nights she dressed and then promptly sat down in a chair and read books the entire evening. Just as she opened her Sire's anthology on John Donne, the dark haired man himself disturbed her quiet.

He silently regarded her for a moment before taking the seat next to her and sighing. "You can't hide here for the rest of your undead life, you know."

"Why do you call it an undead life, Sire? I feel conscious. I am not dead. I never understood that about our kind," Marie turned the pages and tried to tune him out.

"We say undead because we do not live the same life with the same limitations as humans, and for that we are rem-"

"God, he was such a Rake!" Marie exclaimed.

"Pardon?"

"Donne. Talks about fleas mingling their blood together and trying to get his girlfriend to drop her drawers. Are you sure he wasn't Kindred, Sire? 'Cause he sounds like a horny Toreador," she explained.

Julian could never quite get used to her penchant for blending Kindred vernacular into her speech when referring to humans. "Ah. You're reading The Flea, I take it?" he laughed.

"Yeah. It's pretty good stuff."

"The Sun Rising has always been my favorite," he admitted.

"Hmm... it is romantic," she agreed. "Sort of a sleepy, 'good morning! Now roll over and give me some lovin'!' kind of poem."

"You are so crude," Julian groaned. "God, with that mouth of yours you'll never find a mate among Kindred."

Her playful smile disappeared and the dusty book slammed shut at that. "And why should I care about taking a mate among Kindred, Sire? What is the point? I'm perfectly content by myself."

"Give a few centuries of loneliness a try. Then we'll sit down and have this little chat again, shall we?"

"Is that why he's such a grouch," she asked.

"You think Daedalus is grouchy because he has no mate by his side?" Julian laughed. "My dear, he is actually a perfect gentleman. He is the most honorable man I have ever known. You just tease him until he is forced to defend himself. If you want to say that he is grouchy because of that then you have no one but yourself to blame. If you want friends then you're going to have to treat them a little bit better."

* * *

The forth and fifth nights she spent in solitude, away from the confines of the house. And Gangrel security. Sneaking out had been easy. But during the early morning hours she could hear the guards prowling around for her so she stepped out from the dark trees and made her way back into the house.

During these hours away, she discovered the forest was quiet; so different than the bustling and too busy city life she'd known. The winds whispered through the pine boughs and created a sort of music that only the trees themselves seemed to understand. She lay on the forest floor and stared up into the stars, thinking.

Was she too reckless, as her Sire accused her of being? Was she too antagonistic? Or was she simply a 'bird of a different feather' as the saying went?

Marie didn't think she was teasing the Nosferatu in a mean way. She just enjoyed verbally sparring with him. The Ancient had a way of teaching without preaching. He understood her need to test and try out a theory instead of accepting it at face value. If he said A plus B equals C and she asked why, he'd give her a diagram of explanation. If she felt the need to explore the mechanics behind the theory, he'd load her down with readings about the theoretical geniuses who created it, human or Kindred. He was an information trove.

But you had to ask the right questions.

It was like talking to a Sphinx sometimes. If he knew you were fishing for personal or Clan information he'd throw a verbal 'punch' and say something like, "As if Ventrue would be concerned about such a thing," or lead her in a merry go round of questions about WHY she wanted to know such information. She had gone to bed many a night dazed and confused about how he managed to argue circles around her.

Innocuous questions bored him and he would dismiss them with a twist of his lips and then reach for a cigar. So the only way to keep him talking was to aggravate him.

No, she decided. Julian was wrong. Daedalus wasn't defending himself against her by sending the 'sticky bomb.' He was just giving her a gentle tap on the shoulder.

Marie smiled and then chuckled. It really was a very good-natured, albeit funny, sort of rebuke. She would have to think of a way to make it up to him.

* * *

"Your youngest Childe has seen fit to take to the trees again tonight my Prince," the Nosferatu Primogen asked.

"Yes. I think she is embarrassed by her own behavior, my friend."

"With good reason. If it had been any other Primogen she had done that to, she may not have survived."

"Why are you so lenient with her," Julian demanded roughly. "You were never so patient and forgiving with me. I don't understand."

Daedalus reclined by the fireplace of the library within the mansion. "Marie dares to ask me things that you never did," he answered grimly. "The questions a person asks hold just as much meaning as the answers to those questions."

The Ventrue's eyebrow reached toward his hairline.

"She does not have a linear thought process like you do, Julian. The way she arrives at an answer demands a much more expansive approach. I know you do not believe she is making progress, but I disagree. Her learning is simply more chaotic in nature."

"Do you believe I'll ever be able to use her?"

The green eyed Nosferatu shook his head and closed his eyes with a sigh. "I truly do not know, Julian. Her mind is like sponge. And she is young yet. Maybe she'll settle down once she feels she is on the same level as her peers? Who knows. You gave all your Childer a classical education and I know this intimidates her. But I think the knowledge that you will support her in her quest will prove most beneficial to her emotional state."

* * *

When she did finally run into him, it was as the Primogen were leaving the conference room from a Conclave.

Marie had just arrived home from a shopping trip and had five large bags in her arms, trudging up the marble stairs when she nearly ran into him head on. "Would you like help with those," he'd asked. Too dumbstruck to care, she nodded. He took three of the bags from her and then proceeded up the stairs to her and her Sire's room.

After the five bags had been delivered to their proper place, an awkward silence ensued. "Uhh thanks," she offered.

"You're welcome," he automatically replied. "Did you have fun shopping?"

"Is underwear shopping ever fun," she asked with a sarcastic grin.

"That answer can vary a great deal. I wouldn't know how much fun _you_ would have though."

Marie grinned. "Ah. Not too much fun. Julian threatened to beat me within an inch of my life a while back if I didn't start buying more formal clothes. I think he has plans to drag me out on the town or make me attend boring social shin digs with him. If he wants me to hang on his arm and look cute, I guess I can manage to do that ok. At least I'll be doing something right."

Daedalus looked away a moment and then back at her. "The Prince rarely makes mistakes with his Childer," he encouraged.

The two silently contemplated each other before Marie gave a gulp and sat down on the bed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For?"

"You know what."

"It is not wrong to be playful, Marie. But make sure you are aware that playfulness can sometimes backfire. The repercussions of your actions are sometimes monstrously disproportionate. This is something that Kindred feel keenly because of our long life spans."

Marie slowly nodded, looking at her hands. "But black sin hath betrayed to endless night," she muttered.

He walked closer to her and kneeled in front of her. "Your thoughts are dark, little one. Why? And such sad poetry. Who?"

"Donne. He's wonderful. And I'm just thinking of Alexandra. I wish I had known her."

"I do not believe you would have gotten along well with your sister, honestly. She was not as passionate about keeping her life as you are. She made her choice. Let her lie in peace."

"Well, she's dead. It's not like I could rouse her even if I wanted to. I'm simply curious about her. Why she did what she did. And why she could feel such hate toward our Sire. I don't understand. And he never talks about her except to warn me away from doing the things she did."

Come," he bid her. "I want to show you something."

* * *

The blue eyes which peered out at her from the canvas were so haunted that Marie shuddered. Alexandra's wispy blonde hair was wind blown and the hand that gripped the railing of the bridge was muscular and strong. Daedalus has painted her as she would have been if she had willingly jumped off the bridge, her body not on fire. Stubborn and proud.

Blood tears rose to her eyes and she gasped. "God, she was so beautiful."

"Yes, she was. Devastatingly."

"You said that my Sire rarely makes mistakes with his Childer. Did he do something to her?"

"Besides be the Prince that he is? No."

"She didn't like the control he had over her? Was that it," she asked.

"Let's just say that having two beautiful women in the house with rights to Julian's body did not make for a very comfortable bed," he said, referring to Lillie as the other woman.

Marie blinked. "Oh." She cleared her throat. "I can see where that could be problematic."

* * *

_Cyber cookies to the person who can guess which Donne poem that quote was in!_


	5. Furry Problems

_Perhaps I should have stated this earlier in the fic, but Marie's only around a year old in Kindred terms. She's a BABY! Twenty four in human years but only has a year under her belt with being Kindred. She's not going to be given the trust that an ancilla would. She has hardly earned that kind of trust, wouldn't you say? Antagonizing everyone... general mischief... taping a Primogen(and Enforcer!)'s mouth shut...she's a wild woman._

_Her training in the Kindred world has just begun, so she is not told a great deal of what is going on behind the scenes. So Readers, don't think that you're missing out on any type of vital information. There's a lot going on in the background, but this fic is mostly in HER perspective. If you feel lost reading this- don't worry. So is Marie. It all becomes clear in the end. Promise! I won't leave ya hangin._

_Maraluch_

* * *

Marie stealthily stalked the man before her, his dark form seated at a desk. The overhead lights were dim and easy created enough of a shadow for her to hide in around the edge of the office.

"I don't know, honestly," he said into the phone at his ear. "I would have given Julian this information but I'd like to see where the informant leads us first. Telling him before we have all the facts could lead to a great deal of energy being wasted."

The mustached man propped his elbows up on his desk and played with a pencil, rolling it back and forth between his thumb and forefinger. "Hmm. I know. Just do what you can and do it as quickly as possible. I want to have something to tell him by the end of the night, understood?"

As he pushed the Off button on his cordless phone, Marie attacked. She wrapped her left arm around the front of his neck and then with her right hand she pulled back his black blazer jacket to gain access to his shirt. Tightening her grip on his neck and tickling his ribs simultaneously, Sonny reared back and elbowed her in the face before throwing her to the ground.

"Ow," she muttered as she lay in a heap at his feet. Her nose was bloody and her jaw hurt.

"Marie! What are you doing here? I could have seriously hurt you," he scolded. He straightened his shirt and jacket, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles.

"What does it look like I was doing? I was practicing my Hunting skills. You weren't very cooperative, by the way. Julian would be very upset at you," she sniffed and glared at him.

A black eyebrow raised and he rolled his eyes at her. "I doubt he would want you to practice your Hunting skills on your broodmate."

"What's wrong with that? You're easy prey! I practically snuck in right behind you and you didn't even notice."

"You did what?!" Sonny was both livid and curious at the same time. "How?"

"I. Snuck. In. Right. Behind. You. What part of that don't you get?"

The Ventrue Primogen's brain stalled. "Who's been teaching you Hunting tactics before now?"

"Julian," she answered.

"Who else?"

"No one, why?" She frowned in confusion.

Her brother sighed and helped her up off the floor. "You're good, that's why. I didn't even know you were here."

She preened and smiled. "Well, that is the first compliment you have ever given me and I shall treasure it always. You really should be more forthcoming with them, by the way. It makes you seem like less of an ass."

He growled at her and half heartedly swiped at her face with claws outstretched. She laughed and ducked out of the way. "Get out of here, you! Let me get back to work."

Smirking at him, she wiped at the blood on her upper lip as she closed his office door behind her.

* * *

Her next order of business after terrorizing her eldest brother and then catching an early meal, was to visit her Sire and ask what he wanted her to do tonight.

Since her Embrace, Marie found her _job _to be not quite something she could put on a resume within the human world. How would you categorize the things she did? She played gopher for her Sire, sniffed out guests for their intentions(gaining a high level of empathy as a Kindred talent made for some interesting nights), used intimidation to stop Sasha from tearing the house apart when Julian wasn't around. Oh, and she also went to "school" full time. Kindred University for Ventrue. Why was there a Nosferatu involved in the process then, she wondered?

Between Daedalus' lessons in Kindred and human history and politics, and Julian's smacking her on the back of the head for her lack of etiquette, Marie was about to howl at the moon and go mad most nights. Julian's lessons were a lot less structured than Daedalus'. The lessons from her Sire were casual and usually happened around meal times and bed times, sadly. He was a very busy man.

When she entered the foyer of the house, she noticed her sister Cassandra was perched at her front desk station and appeared to be a bit tense. A female Nosferatu stood with her back against the wall, on the opposite side of the room from Cassandra.

"Camilla, what's going on," Marie whispered to the bald woman.

The Nosferatu twisted her lips in a grimace and replied, "There may be trouble in the city, young one. Bad trouble."

"Well, I've never known a good kind of trouble," Marie said under her breath. "What do you think it is?"

"Garou."

Marie's jaw dropped. "What?! Here?"

"We believe so. We will have to wait and see what the Prince decides to do. Until now there has been peace between Kindred and Garou. The peace pact has been kept for over ten years."

The doors to the conference room opened and all five Primogen exited. Both the Gangrel and Brujah Primogen looked fiercely at each other before trying to shoulder the other out of the front door. _Oh good grief_, Marie thought. _Even now those two can't give it a rest_.

The Toreador Primogen, Lillie, grabbed Sonny's elbow for support and the two left the house, neither looking in Marie's direction. Lillie's face betrayed her grief.

As Daedalus left the Conclave, he paused for a moment and whispered to her Sire. Julian looked at Marie and then back at Daedalus before nodding.

Julian motioned his Childe forward and said, "I am not entirely sure how safe this house is going to be for you. We have a potentially explosive situation going on and I need to make sure you are safe. I would like to place you within Daedalus' care, however he is needed. He will not be able to protect you. You have not been given any self defense lessons yet, Marie." He touched her cheek softly. "I want you to go to Cash and let him arm you. Trust his judgment on the matter, do you understand? And then come back here to me. Go."

With all the shelves and rows upon rows of guns and flamethrowers and a multitude of other exotic weapons, the only thing the Gangrel gave her was a five inch long blade and leg holster.

When she found her Sire a few minutes later after receiving her weapon from Cash, he was seated at his desk, deep in conversation on the phone. He finished up the call, practically growling at the person on the other end and then hung up. Apparently, things were not going very well.

Julian removed his jacket and unbuttoned his cuffs before rolling his sleeves up on his forearms. "I want you to go down to the lowest level of the basement with Cassandra and a few of the others. And you will not leave until someone comes to get you, understood?"

"Yes, I understand." Great. She was being relegated to the dungeons while the warriors were out having all the fun.

* * *

Marie, Cassandra, and a few of the other Ventrue and Toreador house staff stayed in the lower basement for whole two nights. There was no sound at all within the depths of the basement they were in.

Marie carefully crept up the stairs until her ear was at the door which led to a higher level. No sound at all. Had Julian abandoned the Wolf House entirely in order to draw the Garou's attention away from everyone hiding here? It was the only conclusion she came to.

* * *

Before the sun had set on the third night, the door was opened and Cash ushered everyone upstairs.

Cassandra smacked her broodmate awake and then half carried her up the stairs. Lethargy was hard to shake off when one's belly was growling in Thirst and the moon wasn't even up yet.

According to the guards it was safe for everyone to go out and Hunt, but only in packs. Marie let Cassandra drive uptown and they both had their fill before returning home.

"I wonder if Julian, Billy, and Sonny are alright," Marie said as she walked back up the front steps into the house.

"They are," Cassandra murmured. "We would have known if they weren't. Trust me."

But how much trust can you have when you don't even know what's going on? Marie only knew that somehow or another the peace pact between the Garou and Kindred had been broken. But by whom? And when?

She didn't receive any answers concerning these questions until almost noon, as her Sire lay down beside her looking pathetically tired. She hesitated for a moment before scooting closer to him to kiss his cheek.

He held out his arms to her and she rested her face against his shoulder, nose against his neck. Petting her hair, he spoke to her of the past days.

According to him, a Toreador had been in the alleys in their own territory looking for an easy meal when they interrupted a Garou in the middle of his own meal. Both surprised one another and the Garou pounced, trying to protect his prey from the intruding Kindred. Grace was dead as a result.

Marie gasped in horror. Grace was Lillie's grand Childe. Lillie had been forced to kill her own Childe, Zane, for breaking the First and the Third Traditions. He had broken the Masquerade and had also Embraced many Childer without his Prince's consent. After Lillie had raised her claw to her own Childe, she had been heartbroken and despondent for months. No one should have to kill their own Childe. But Kindred law was harsh.

After Lillie came out of her depression, she gathered Zane's brood together and formally adopted them as her own. Grace was a waif of a Toreador and quite shy. Lillie protected her like a lioness and had tried to raise her adopted Childe to be strong and resilient. Unfortunately that effort ended three nights ago.

The past two nights had been a wait-and-see situation. And when it was all said and done, nothing was seen and the waiting had been useless. The Garou who had murdered Grace had not been found and even more perplexing was the fact that no Garou representative at all could be contacted. Either they were cleaning house or there was trouble in the ranks. And Julian was stuck waiting for news.

Hugging his Childe to his body for comfort, Julian rested fitfully. Marie lay awake through most of the day, wondering what the future held for them all.

* * *

_Wow. Damn that was depressing. I know some of you wanted a happy chapter but it just didn't happen that way. I promise that the next part will be a great deal 'lighter' in content and not so ominous. _


	6. Life Resumes

The night after the Garou escapade ended with no clear resolution in sight, Marie sat at a highly polished table in the formal dining room of the Wolf House.

"Julian Luna," she began. "You are vile. You are evil. And I hate you."

The evil man in question merely smiled, his unevenly colored eyes crinkled in humor. "Perhaps. But you are still going to eat that pasta."

"Tell me why I have to do this again? Please. I beg you," she said with venom dripping off her sarcastic words. The smell of the food in front of her made her gag in disgust.

"Begging is nice. Having my Childe beg me for something gives me a reason to rise out of my bed every evening," he said cheerfully. "But it's not going to get you out of this very important lesson." Julian picked up her fork and rolled up a long strand of the pasta around the tines. As he brought the pasta up to her mouth to feed her, she growled at the offending item. The closer it got to her mouth, the louder the growl became. When the fork touched her lips, she looked directly into her Sire's eyes and glared daggers at him, pressing her lips tightly together in a line. Refusing to eat.

He carefully placed the loaded fork down on her plate and sighed. "Marie. You must do this. In order to preserve the Masquerade in public, you must do this. And you must become accustomed to it so that you do not betray your true feelings about how it makes your body feel. You will be able to get rid of the food later, but right now you have to get the food in you."

"No."

The Prince frowned slightly and then got up out of his chair beside her. "Fine. You'll stay in this room until that plate is empty." And he walked out, locking the set of double doors behind him.

* * *

Four hours later after much pacing and growling at no one in particular, Marie swallowed the last slimy, disgusting, white noodle.

She immediately ran to the doors and started pounding on them to be let out.

Julian chuckled and unlocked the doors to greet his angry Childe. As he opened his mouth to ask her how she was, he was rewarded with white noodles flying all over his shoes and a heaving and gagging woman pressing her forehead against his chest. Marie had puked on him.

After recovering from the shock, he patted her back. "It's alright, Marie. It happens to us all the first few times. We're not always able to make it to the trash can in enough time. Don't be ashamed. "

"Ashamed," she sniffed. "I'm not ashamed. You should be ashamed. You should have known I hate alfredo sauce!" She hissed at him, fangs bared, before stomping out of the dining room.

* * *

Her friendship with Daedalus took a few more nights to repair than she hoped. He had been away in the underbelly of the city with his Clanmates trying to figure out where the killer Garou was hiding.

Contact had finally been made with a representative of the local pack and from what Julian had told her, the one who murdered Grace had gone rogue some time ago. The rogue Garou was exiled and that was when disaster struck and the peace pact broken.

The meeting between the Prince of San Francisco and the leader of the Garou pack was tense but informative. Both species were mortal enemies due to the religious beliefs of the Garou; Kindred were vermin and the 'leeches' of humanity and Gaia. After centuries of strife, peace had been found between them. Both agreed to live and let live. With humanity encroaching on the Garou's territory more and more with every passing day, they could not afford to alienate a possible strong ally. Especially since Kindred society had matured over the years and tried to strike a balance between keeping the Masquerade while still making their way in society. What affected Garou affected Kindred. And if something threatened Garou then help from Kindred would be the most effective means to eradicate it. A very delicate balancing act.

But this rogue killer brought a question to the forefront. Who would hunt him? And would both species agree to work together? Could they even manage to do such a thing after so many years of animosity?

The Garou disagreed, as did Julian. Such a thing would be akin to telling the Gangrel one night that they were not allowed to hate the Brujah and vice versa. Impossible.

The compromise would be that if any Garou were found then that beast would not be killed but wounded and then imprisoned until judgment could be made. The leader of the pack would be responsible for meting out that judgment, not a Kindred Prince. The other half of this of course was that the 'good' Garou would remain out of sight as much as possible to alleviate any possible mistaken identity. With both Garou and Kindred in accord, they departed company.

* * *

Marie stood as her mentor entered the dank tunnel before her. The Nosferatu lowered the cowl of his robe and exposed his face to the candlelight. "Little one, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," she answered shortly. "Have you had any luck finding the killer yet?"

Daedalus shook his head negatively and then took a seat on a rickety wooden chair close to her. "How did you find this place without dying in the process," he asked while gesturing to the cavern they were in. The entire place was booby trapped.

"Common sense and a flashlight."

Good grief this girl was trouble. Pretty soon she'd ferret out every one of his hiding places. "This is not a place for you, Marie. If other Nosferatu saw you here without me they would likely attack you."

Marie's eyebrows raised haughtily. "And if my Sire knew that a Nosferatu had attacked me... then what?"

"You would be left to explain yourself to you Sire," he said simply. "One does not wander into the haven of a Nosferatu without permission. It is not done."

She looked away and licked her lips. A sigh. "So now you consider me rude to have entered this place."

Marie started to apologize but he interrupted as soon as she opened her mouth. "Most Kindred obey their instincts and stay away from any place that may be a Nosferatu's haven. But you seem willing enough to barge right in. So fine. Come in at your leisure. But if you suddenly find yourself unable to remember your name or clucking like a chicken for a week because one of my Clanmates mesmerized you, don't come crying to me."

* * *

Thirty minutes later in Daedalus' haven in the gatehouse...

Marie stood in his living room which doubled as his painting gallery and murmured lowly, "You're not going to tell my Sire, are you?"

"I don't know. Depends on you. You're going to have to offer me a much greater incentive than what he is currently offering. I've always wanted a servant," he admitted.


	7. To The Victor Goes The Spoils

The following night...

"Have you decided what you're going to do," Daedalus asked Marie as she gingerly sat in one of his hard wooden chairs in the gatehouse.

"What do you want?"

"Well, when it comes down to being staked or being a servant, which would you prefer?"

Carefully considering the amount of physical pain versus the emotional agony she answered, "Neither."

"So what have you chosen? Are you going to offer me something or am I going to have to inform your Sire about your lack of courtesy?"

Typical Nosferatu blackmail. "But I don't know what you want. How do I know what to offer if I don't know what you would accept?"

"Make me an offer and we'll go from there," he said while trimming a cigar to be lit.

"Uh. Run errands for you for a month?"

"No. The only errands I ever run would be to take messages and such to my Clanmates. And I'll not have you angering them as well. Your debt stays with me."

"Gesso all your canvases for you for a month?"

After a brief pause, Daedalus accepted. "Increase that time to a year and consider the matter forgotten."

Marie's jaw dropped. A year?! "How many canvases are we talking about here?"

"Depends. Sometimes I go through three a month. Other times I'll go through a dozen."

Marie could feel all her free time floating away from her where she sat. But it was a small price to pay for not feeling her Sire's wrath, let alone not ever having him find out about her little faux pas. "Deal."

* * *

Two weeks later...

The city was tense with uncertainty after Grace's murder. All the Clans had their strongest members patrolling day and night, searching for the rogue Garou who had broken the peace pact. Thankfully the local Garou had done as they'd promised and kept out of sight.

At a Conclave within the Wolf House, Julian listened as Cash gave a report of the past three day's activity. Violence between the Clans had decreased to virtually none. The only clash had been a few hours ago in town when a neophyte Gangrel tried to run over a Brujah with his bike. Luckily, Cameron had been present and was able to calm his Clanmate down before a fight erupted. In the end, Cameron had to drag his Clanmate by the scruff of his neck over to a wall and bash his face in a few times to make him see reason.

The Gangrel youngster fared a bit worse. He had been beaten senseless by his Primogen. The only violence so far had actually been committed by the Primogen themselves in order to keep the peace, which was acceptable.

The mutual cooperation between Gangrel and Brujah was nice, the Prince mused. But how long could it last? The Garou pack leader still said the murderer was on the loose and dangerous. Had the Garou moved on? Was he even still in the area?

Lillie was impossible to deal with. She wanted this Garou's blood to avenge her lost Childe. Julian could see her mentally sharpening her claws in preparation for war. Toreador Clan may not have the number of experienced warriors within their ranks the others did but when provoked to protect someone or something, they were deadly. Passion for anything made them dangerous.

Just as Julian opened his mouth to ask for other concerns, the door to the conference room burst open and his daughter waltzed in with a massive smile plastered on her face.

"Sorry to interrupt everyone, but I have a present for my Sire. Look," she squealed in delight. She shook a bloody blob at them all. "Isn't it great?!" She cooed in pleasure.

Julian stood and frowned. Daedalus cocked his head to the side, nose flared, trying to smell who's blood it was she had all over her. Lillie looked horrified. Sonny's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. Cash looked sickened, as if he was about to throw up.

Cameron smiled and laughed. "Awww! Your baby girl brought you a prizey, Julian. You might want to ask where the rest of it is, though," he said noting the blood dripping on the carpet. "I mean, if she brought you dinner there's not really a whole lot left to munch on."

"It's not dinner, you foul man," Marie corrected. "It is my trophy!" She put the bloody thing on the table but it rolled a few inches to the right, leaving a smeared bloody trail on the polished wood. After a few anxious seconds she righted it and arranged it so it faced her Sire. She brushed a few brown strands of its hair to the side and then looked up into her Sire's confused face.

"Marie, where did you get this head?"

"I found it," she said a smile.

"Where?"

"In the backyard."

The Conclave was silent, trying to absorb the spectacle they held before them. Julian blinked several times and shook his head and tried to get a grip on the situation. "You FOUND a Garou head in my backyard?"

"Yes. Isn't he cute? I want to have him bronzed so we can put him over the fireplace mantle in your library. What do you think?" She licked her lips and then reconsidered. "Then again, you have a lot of silver and black in that room. Bronze might look out of place but-"

Julian held up a forefinger and silently asked her to hush. "Ok. Let me get this straight. You found a bloody Garou head in the backyard. And this Garou appears to be a fresh kill. Were there any others nearby? And how did you find it?"

"Well, I didn't ... find it, really.. I sorta took it from him."

"Who? Who did you take it from? Was there a fight? How many?" Julian braced himself for the answer that would lead him to declaring a Blood Hunt. The Primogen sat up.

But Marie's brows twitched, furrowed together and she frowned, silent.

"Marie. Answer me," Julian demanded. "We need to know where to go to find the rest of them."

The young Ventrue pursed her lips and stared at the decapitated head in front of her.

"Answer me!"

She sighed. "I can't," she growled. "I mean, I can't... I can't think of any smaller words to use!" she yelled.

"Excuse me?" The Prince's eyes began to take on the glow of anger.

"I found him! And I took it from him! What don't you understand about this? He jumped out of the trees at me and confused my neck for a chew toy. I am NOT a chew toy," she huffed. "The only one who can chew on me is you," she announced, pointing her finger at her Sire. "And he isn't nearly as cute as you. So he's not allowed to do that."

Daedalus smirked and Julian sat with a thump down in his chair. "You took this Garou's head from him," he clarified.

Marie threw her hands up in the air and she was about to go into another tirade of the injustice done to her neck when Julian put his hand up again, motioning for silence from her.

"This is a yes or no question, Marie. That is all I want from you. Did you kill this Garou yourself?"

"Yes," she answered promptly.

"You killed him even though we needed him alive?"

"No."

Julian raised an eyebrow at her.

"Can I answer this question using more than a yes or no," she asked.

The Ventrue Prince gestured to the bloody head, "As long as you don't start yelling at me and tempt me to add your head along with his to my fireplace mantle."

"Fair enough," she conceded. "I only killed him to save my own neck. He wouldn't talk to me. It was self defense."

At least this solved the problem of the missing crazy Garou. The pack leader would be upset, no doubt. But if his Childe had killed in self defense and had no opportunity to subdue him let alone reason with him, then surely the pack leader wouldn't raise too much of a fuss. Peace was too far important to them both.

Calm and rational once again, Julian folded his fingers together on the table before him. "You have done your city a service this evening. But you cannot keep that head, bronzed or not."

"But why not?" she whined.

"It would break the Masquerade should it ever be discovered," Daedalus stated. "But I'm sure that if the Prince would be kind enough to grant his Childe a _small_ token from her trophy everything would be alright." The Nosferatu stood and took the head in his hands, turning it over while gripping the jaws in an open position. He pried out both of the most prominent fangs on the upper set of teeth, handing them to her.

She looked at the long pointed teeth in her hand and smiled. Marie squeaked in happiness and grabbed him. Wrapping both arms around Daedalus' neck, she kissed his pale cheek with a loud smack of her lips. "Thank you. You're the best."

The soundly kissed Nosferatu was nearly bowled over when she launched herself at him but righted himself quickly.

Julian watched the exchange befuddled. Give the girl a handful of credit cards to go shopping with and she growls at him. Give her a Garou to kill and she practically swoons in happiness? Potential guard? Quite possibly.

* * *

Near dawn of the same evening...

"My Childe has a severely warped sense of humor," Julian complained as he sat enjoying a nicely aged burgundy wine with his closest friend.

"She has the exuberance of youth with the moral and physical strength of her Sire. That is naturally going to be a dangerous combination," Daedalus grinned.

"But that's the thing. I don't think she has my strength. So how did she kill that Garou?"

"What are you saying, Julian?"

"She told me that she literally pulled his head off. Like a cork out of a bottle. How is that possible?"

The Nosferatu's thoughts ran rampant. "Unless...Well, I mean.. I've seen...certain Kindred..."

Julian's eyes bore into his. "What?"

Daedalus swallowed more wine and faced his Prince with apologetic eyes. "Unless she was somehow damaged by what happened with Goth," he enunciated slowly.

"But I made her after-"

"Correct."

"But there's no way that-"

"Why not?"

"Because it's not possible!" Julian yelled.

"Vampires and werewolves aren't possible either, Julian. And yet here we all are. What's impossible about it? I gave you some of my vitae to strengthen and fortify you for the imminent duel with Goth. You Embraced her only a few days afterward. If Marie somehow caught onto some of the latent traces of my blood in you when you Embraced her, then it makes perfect sense. She is in fact both of ours. She is _our_ Childe."

Julian's ears rang with the outrageous postulations of his Enforcer. And the man didn't stop either.

"If that were true, then it would certainly explain her eh... ineptitude with certain social situations. And also her utter lack of regard for her own personal safety in favor of taking a trophy from her kill."

"Are you speaking from personal experience, old man?"

Daedalus blinked and tried to hedge around his Prince's question, but the look in his eye was playful and not maliciously nosy. He decided to cooperate a bit. "I may have..." he stammered. "Perhaps a few times in my Childehood," he admitted, "not exactly run from confrontations. And taking a trophy was my right. They lost. I won. And I deserved to be compensated for my blood loss." He looked sheepishly at his young friend. "I was quite irrational."

"Somehow I can't imagine you as irrational," Julian replied.

Daedalus gave a small shrug and continued with his theory. "Nevertheless, it is true that most Fledglings of my breed have certain emotional characteristics. Looking back now, I think that Marie may have been trying to tell us that she felt a little uneasy with just one Clan being her home. She told me once that she thought she was the product of 'Kindred blood craziness or cross Clan blood bonding." Julian gave a small laugh and then the Nosferatu stated, "But you and I know better, don't we?"

"Yes, we do," Julian conceded. "You don't have to be blood bound to another Kindred for their blood to change yours." For weeks after the duel with Goth, Julian had heard Daedalus' thoughts from time to time. They were never very precise, but they did hold a great deal of emotion.

"I've contemplated changing her training a bit to coincide with that of my own," Julian said. Weapons and combat training would fill Marie's days.

Daedalus' eyebrow quirked upward and he asked lowly, "After ripping a full grown Garou's head off his shoulders, do you honestly think she needs it?"

Julian laughed and sighed. No, they agreed. Marie would be allowed to gradually find her own place among them. Wherever that might be.

The End


End file.
